


Triumvirate

by spobylol



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, Jealousy, Love Triangles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-03-23 05:39:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13780878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spobylol/pseuds/spobylol
Summary: After a summer away, Korra's close friend and apparent crush Mako returns home with news: he's engaged to a gorgeous businesswoman named Asami Sato. And Korra's jealous. But not of Asami—Korra's jealous of Mako.





	1. Welcome Home

Korra was never good at handling her emotions. 

It was no secret—to anyone—that she was quite fond of her friend Mako. Most people just assumed that she saw him in a romantic way. Therefore, her friends and family could easily tell that she was feeling unsettled because of Mako's absence. She was fine with Mako going away temporarily—they had all been on vacations and trips before. But what was  _really_ making her feel unsettled was the fact that Mako wasn't messaging her at all. She hadn't gotten any calls or texts from him since the beginning of the summer, which was unusual. For her, it was weird to go so long without talking to him.

"Mako's coming home today!"

Korra's head jerked to look at Bolin, who had just dropped the news. 

"He... told you that?"

Bolin nodded his head, instantly causing Korra's heart to sink. Mako told Bolin that he was coming home, but hadn't bothered to tell her anything? It hurt. Badly.

"Hey, don't feel bad that he didn't tell you. He's barely spoken to me all summer, too," Bolin reminded her. "And he's my  _brother_."

Korra calmed herself down. Maybe he had just told Bolin because they were family. She felt like she was partially responsible for the lack of communication, although she'd like to entirely blame Mako for it. She hadn't reached out to Mako all summer, either. She was just waiting for him to message or call first. She thought that he would reach out to her eventually, but he didn't.

"I can't wait to see him!" Opal exclaimed. "It's been way too long."

Bolin nodded his head in agreement. "I wonder what he's been up to all this time."

* * *

Later that night, Korra's phone buzzed. She hoped and hoped that it was a message from Mako about how he was home and he wanted to see her—just her. She smiled when she found that her hopes were coming true. Mako had messaged her that he had just arrived home and that he wanted to meet up with her. It felt like the message was just for her. It was as if Mako actually did miss her. It was as if she were the first person that Mako wanted to see after getting home.

Immediately, she replied that she would meet with him. They were planning on getting food together. Korra figured that he was hungry after traveling home all day. 

She got dressed and headed out to the restaurant to see him. When she got there, she was greeted with Mako's bright smile waiting for her. Without any words, he stepped forward and pulled her in for a long hug, pulling her close to his body. Korra shut her eyes, easing into the hug. She felt relaxed in his arms. It was almost as if he hadn't been gone for the entire summer. Everything felt balanced again.

"Oh, Korra... it's so good to see you again," Mako beamed. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Mako... more than you could even imagine," she confessed, biting her lip.

Mako tilted his head to the side, looking at her sympathetically.

"Well, you don't have to miss me any longer. I'm here," he chuckled. "I'm sorry I didn't reach out all summer. I know I should've... I guess I was just so overwhelmed with everything going on during my trip that I felt weird about reaching out to people at home."

Korra didn't really understand what could've kept him so busy that he didn't have any time to talk to her all summer, but she also really didn't want to have an argument with him right when he got back. She was just glad that he was back.

"Don't worry about it. I think we were all pretty busy over the summer. You're here now... that's all that matters," she said.

Mako smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Korra."

"So, should we get a table?" she asked.

Mako shook his head, "No need. We've already got a table over there. Everyone is waiting for us."

Mako started walking deeper inside of the restaurant. Korra followed him with wide eyes, taken aback by what he had just said.  _Everyone_ was waiting for them?  _Everyone_? That meant that their other friends were also there. Korra knew it was stupid, but she felt deeply disappointed that he had invited the others. She felt naive for even thinking that he just wanted to hang out with her alone when he got back.  _That_ wouldn't have made sense. That seemed like a romantic move, and Korra was well-aware of the fact that they were  _not_ romantic.

As they were nearing the table, Mako turned to her and said, "So... there's somebody I'd like you to meet."

Korra furrowed her eyebrows.  _Somebody he'd like her to meet_? This whole thing was starting to feel odd.

Mako seemed a bit nervous as he led her toward the table. Korra saw that Bolin and Opal were already sitting there, conversing with a girl whose back was facing Korra. The girl had long, dark hair and seemed quite tall from where she was sitting.

"Hey, guys!" Mako exclaimed. "Korra's here!"

Bolin, Opal, and the girl stopped conversing, all turning to face Mako and Korra. Everyone smiled (except Korra, who was just plain confused right now). The dark haired girl stood up from where she was sitting, taking steps forward to approach Korra. She smiled pleasantly, reaching her hand forward, offering it to Korra to shake. Weakly, Korra shook the girl's hand. Heat rose to Korra's cheeks immediately when she got a good look at the girl. Korra wasn't sure she had ever seen someone as pretty as her. The girl had dark, wavy hair... piercing green eyes... perfect lips coated in a dark shade of lipstick. Korra felt bad about herself just looking at the other girl.

"Hi, I'm Asami Sato," she introduced herself sweetly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Korra."

"H-hi," Korra mumbled, still confused. 

She didn't understand why Mako was introducing her to some insanely pretty girl, but she had a feeling that she wasn't going to like the reason. 

"Korra, this is my fianceé," Mako finally announced.

Korra's mouth was ajar.

"Your  _what_?"

 


	2. Mako's Girl

"She's my fianceé."

"Um, I heard you the first time, but I just couldn't believe that you said it at all," Korra said bluntly. 

She regretted saying that, feeling like a jerk for being so judgmental. She glanced over at Asami, who seemed uncomfortable now. Asami pressed her lips together.

"I mean... you've been gone one summer, Mako. And you come back... engaged?" she asked. "After three months? It's so sudden."

Mako folded his arms, "Korra, I'm not here to ask for your blessing to marry her. We  _are_ getting married. I just thought that it was about time that I introduce all of you to her. I think you'll all like her a lot. I certainly do."

Asami smiled, leaning over to peck Mako's cheek. The sight made Korra uneasy. 

"Don't worry, Mako!" Bolin exclaimed. "I already like her a bunch! She's super cool. C'mon, Korra... give her a chance."

"What? I'm not saying she isn't cool—" Korra started, but stopped herself. "Whatever. I'm sorry. Can we just eat now?"

Mako was about to say something, but Asami stopped him by squeezing his arm.

"Hey, calm down," she told him. "If I were Korra, I'd have questions, too. I mean, you did drop off the face of the Earth for the past few months, and you're suddenly engaged? Trust me, I get that it's weird. And I'm honestly impressed. You're the only one who's even had the guts to question us. You're honest. I like that."

Korra softened as she took another look at Asami. She really felt bad for lashing out. She knew it wasn't her life or her decision to make, but the whole thing was so sudden. She smiled at Asami. She could definitely see why Mako liked her. It was unquestionable that she had amazing looks, and Korra was getting the impression that her personality was certainly something to be fond of, too.

"Thank you. I'm sorry," she bit her lip.

"Don't be," Asami smiled. "Why don't we order some food?"

Mako slid into the booth next to Bolin and Opal. Asami sat on the other side of the booth, across from the three. Korra figured she had no option aside from sitting next to Asami. She could only imagine how rude she'd look if she slid in the booth next to Mako. 

After the waiter came by and took their orders, Bolin looked over at Asami.

"So, how'd you meet my brother? Was it...  _love at first sight_?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Asami laughed, "I was out shopping one day, not paying too much attention to my surroundings, so I bumped right into Mako while I was walking. I helped him up. He was so clearly about to yell at me..."

" _But_ ," Mako stepped in, "one good look at her and I wasn't even mad anymore. I asked her to dinner right then and there."

Korra rolled her eyes at the story. She wanted to find something wrong with Asami. Bolin and Opal were enjoying conversing with her as they were all eating. Korra, on the other hand, maintained her silence. 

"I'm double majoring in engineering and business at RU," she stated proudly. "When Mako found out that I live in Republic City, too, he was so thrilled."

"I think I wanted to marry her right at that moment," he laughed.

The more Asami spoke, the more Korra realized how impressive she was. She was gorgeous, intelligent, and kind. It really was no surprise that Mako fell for her so quickly. Initially, Korra had wondered how Mako could get engaged to somebody so quickly, but she figured that with a girl as impressive as Asami Sato, he had to act fast. 

"I also work with my father at Future Industries," she told them. "When he steps down, I'm going to take over the company. I have a lot of plans for the company's future."

Mako looked at her with heart eyes.

"How did I get so lucky?" he swooned.

Asami chuckled before leaning across the table to peck his lips. Korra looked down, not wanting to see the kiss. She fiddled her fork around in her noodles, keeping her eyes on them until Asami was sitting up straight again. 

As they were finishing their food, Asami looked at the group with a smile.

"Hey, if you're all up for it, you could come back to my place. We could go for a swim in my pool or relax in the hot tub," she suggested.

"That sounds  _awesome_!" Bolin exclaimed. "I really wanna come over, but I've got a paper due tomorrow."

"Me too," Opal sighed. "We're in the same English course. I feel horrible for procrastinating."

"No worries," Asami shrugged her shoulders. "Another time, then? I'd be delighted to invite you guys over another time."

"I'm holding you to that promise, Asami," Bolin grinned. "Once I get this English paper out of the way, we're having another pool night. And I'm coming!"

Opal nodded her head, "Definitely."

Mako smiled, "Well, they might have a paper to finish, but RU's classes haven't started yet, so I'm a free man. I'd be happy to head back to your place to hang."

Korra bit her lip. She really didn't want to go over to Asami's place to hang out with them, but something about the thought of Asami and Mako hanging out together alone rubbed her the wrong way. She was getting bad feelings about it. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be there. Then she would know if anything happened. And maybe they wouldn't do anything if she was there. Plus, she was also attending RU, so her classes hadn't started yet.

"Korra?" Asami looked over at her. She reached over, touching Korra's shoulder.

Korra glanced down to where Asami's hand was, feeling tense about it. 

"Um, I can come... I guess," Korra nodded her head. "I don't have anything better to do tonight."

"Great!" Asami exclaimed. 

After they started walking away from their table at the restaurant, Asami came over to Korra's side. She leaned close as they walked to the restaurant's door.

"I'm glad you're coming," she said quietly. "Honestly, I'm the most interested in getting to know you, Korra. You intrigue me."

Korra furrowed her eyebrows, startled. She had barely said a word the entire time, and Asami still wanted to get to know her? Korra wondered if it was an intimidation thing. Maybe Asami really didn't like her and just wanted to assert that Mako was all hers or something.

* * *

Mako, Korra, and Asami arrived at Asami's place. Korra was stunned. It was huge—it was literally a mansion. Asami unlocked the doors, letting the two of them inside. She led them to the back, where there was a huge pool and a hot tub.

"Korra, can I get you a swimsuit? We have plenty of spares. I know you weren't expecting to go swimming today," Asami chuckled.

"Um... maybe I'll just watch," she bit her lip.

"Nonsense!" Asami shook her head. "Don't be shy. I'll bring one."

Asami went back inside to get swimsuits, leaving Korra alone with Mako. Both of them felt a wave of awkwardness as soon as Asami left. Nervously, Mako glanced over at her.

"Korra... I can't help but feel like you're mad at me. Are you mad at me?" he asked. "Because I don't want you to be."

"I don't know, Mako! Maybe I'm a little upset that my  _friend_ disappeared from my life for months and suddenly returns engaged to some girl I've never even met," she hissed.

"You're still upset about Asami, then..." Mako concluded, sighing. "I know it's all so sudden, but that's the way the whole thing was. It was a fast romance, I'll be honest with you. But I know how I feel about her and I know I'm making the right decision. Can you just be happy for me?"

"I'm trying," she admitted. 

"Thank you," he nodded. "I'm selfish for what I did. But my engagement to Asami doesn't mean that we can't be friends anymore, Korra. I still care about you and I'm still going to be here for you through everything. I'll never do what I did this summer again. You're one of the most important people in my life. I don't want to lose you."

Korra's face softened.

"I don't want to lose you either, Mako," she sighed.

"You don't have to," he shook his head. "I'm right here and I always will be."

Mako bit his lip before announcing, "Well, I was planning on coming here to swim afterward, so I brought my swim trunks. I'm just gonna head into a room to change, okay? I'll be right back."

Korra nodded her head, turning away from him. Mako walked back inside to change just as Asami came back down with a few swimsuits in her hand. She handed them to Korra.

"I wasn't sure which style you like, so I brought a few. Take your pick," Asami said sweetly. 

When the swimsuits were in Korra's hands, she got a better look at Asami. She had already changed into a dark red bikini, revealing her toned stomach and ample bosom. Korra really wished that she wasn't staring straight at Asami's chest, but she was. She forced herself to look away before Asami noticed anything, though. She didn't know why, but something about Asami was so...  _attractive_. 

Korra hurried away, changing into a one-piece swimsuit. She felt self-conscious as she returned outside because, well, Asami sort of looked like a freaking goddess and it was hard to compare. Mako had already changed and returned by the time that Korra came outside, but he seemed disappointed. He hugged Asami before turning to face Korra.

"Hey, I've actually gotta run right now," he sighed sadly. "My parents aren't too thrilled that I haven't spent any time with them after getting back, so they want me to go home to see them. I guess I don't blame them, though. But I'll see you guys later. And I'll definitely be here when we have a redo of this day with Bolin and Opal! Don't have too much fun without me!"

Korra's eyes widened. Mako was really leaving her alone with Asami, who she literally just met?

"Bye, Mako," Asami waved as her fiancé left. She turned back to Korra. "So, just the two of us then, huh?"

 

 


	3. Beneath the Surface

Slowly, Asami dipped her body into the pool. Korra groaned internally. This girl literally looked perfect doing  _anything_. She made getting into pools look sexy. She even made eating noodles look sexy at the restaurant! And  _Mako_ was going to spend the rest of his life with  _her_? Korra didn't know why, but it made her uneasy. 

She stood to the side as Asami got comfortable in her pool. Korra stood by the doorway, chewing her lip, contemplating getting in the pool. She had her arms crossed, somewhat guarding her body in case Asami glanced over. Korra hated feeling so self-conscious. 

"Come on, are you not getting in?" Asami asked, turning to look at her. She leaned against the edge of the pool, resting her arms on the surface. She looked up at Korra. "It's no fun when I'm all alone, you know. I promise the water's nice when you get used to it."

Uneasily, Korra took a few steps forward so that she was closer to the edge of the pool. She dipped one foot in the water, getting a feel for it, before taking a leap of faith and submerging her entire self in the water. After a few seconds, she pushed herself up to the surface. Asami smiled, satisfied that Korra finally decided to join her.

"It's odd to me," Asami commented. "You were extremely... blunt... I'd expect a person with that characteristic to be more confident." 

"W- _what_?" Korra raised her eyebrows.

Asami turned to face her, tilting her head to the side.

"You're shy," she observed. "Or, at least you're nervous right now. I was reading your body language while you were standing out there. You seem... self-conscious."

"I—" Korra started, but felt heat rising to her cheeks. She didn't appreciate the fact that Asami was trying to  _read_ her or something. "No, I just... I guess it's because... you look like...  _you_ and I look like...  _me_... I..."

Asami pressed her lips together, "Korra, you're beautiful. You have nothing to be shy about." 

Korra swallowed hard, feeling her heart flutter when Asami complimented her. The heat was rising to her cheeks even more; she was pretty sure her cheeks were bright red right now. On top of being gorgeous, intelligent, and funny, Asami also just had to be super kind, too, right?

"Thank you," Korra smiled weakly.

"Seriously, I'm sure you're much fitter than I am," Asami shrugged her shoulders. "You look like it."

Korra smiled sincerely now, feeling proud. "Well, I do exercise a bit..."

"It shows," Asami nodded her head. 

They stood there in silence for a moment, both looking at each other. 

Asami broke the silence, "So, back at the restaurant, you didn't seem like you were enjoying yourself."

Korra pressed her lips together. Was this the part where Asami turned into the possessive fianceé who would tell her to back off of Mako? Korra wondered if she was wrong to constantly be making all these assumptions about Asami because every time she made one, she found out that she was wrong about it. Besides, Asami didn't really have a reason to be jealous over Korra's friendship with Mako. It was painfully obvious that there was nothing romantic between them. 

"It was nothing," Korra shrugged it off.

Asami raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Where's the honest girl I first met at the restaurant today?" she chuckled. 

"It's just... I felt...  _disconnected_ from Mako," Korra confessed. "We've been good friends for a long time, so I guess it hurt that he shut me out for so long and then came and dropped some big news on me."

Asami nodded her head, "I completely understand. That wasn't good of him to do, so I understand why you would be upset with him. But he cares about you, Korra. He really does. I know it. He did talk about you when we were getting to know each other over vacation."

Korra shrugged her shoulders.

Asami sighed, continuing, "I don't mean to jump to conclusions, but if you're feeling hurt because you had feelings for Mako and he suddenly returned home with somebody else, that's okay. It's okay to feel jealous. It's okay if you have feelings for Mako, Korra. I'm not one to judge."

Korra's eyes widened, "I don't—"

"You don't owe me any explanations," Asami shook her head. "I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm also not here to tell you to shut your feelings for him off. You can't help how you feel about people. We don't choose who we fall for. We just... fall."

Korra nodded her head slowly, watching the way the water on Asami glistened. She swallowed hard. Maybe she was upset because of Mako and Asami's relationship. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what she was feeling or why she was feeling it. But her mind was certainly a tangled mess as her eyes fixed themselves upon Asami, staring straight at her face. Her green eyes looked magnificent in the dim lighting of the evening. 

"I'm sorry if that was weird," Asami chuckled, scratching her head. 

"It's okay," Korra nodded her head.

Initially, Korra had wanted to hate everything about Asami, but it certainly was difficult when she was so... great. Now, honestly, she wanted to  _know_ Asami. She wanted to learn more about the other girl. 

"This place is... big," Korra commented. "Do you have the whole thing to yourself?"

Asami's face darkened for a moment. She almost seemed sad, and Korra felt bad for asking now, although she was still curious. 

"I'm sorry if  _that_ was weird. Your life really is none of my business—"

"I'm pretty much alone here," Asami answered, cutting her off. "I mean, my dad technically still lives here, but... he's never around. He's always on business trips because, of course, he has to take care of the company. Future Industries is his everything. He's worked so hard to keep the business running." 

"And your mom?"

"She's, um..." the sadness remained in Asami's eyes. "She's dead."

Impulsively, Korra moved through the water closer to Asami, reaching over to squeeze the girl's arm to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry."

"It was a long time ago, but... it still hurts to talk about it," Asami confessed. She smiled weakly, "But enough about me. I want to know about you. Tell me about yourself."

Korra shrugged her shoulders shyly, "There's not much to me."

Asami tilted her head to the side, giving the tanner girl a look of disbelief. 

"Why do I find that so hard to believe?"

Korra smiled, glancing again at Asami's face. The other girl was staring back at her. It was an intense look, but there was a gentle smile on Asami's face. And quite honestly, Korra loved the way that Asami was looking at her. There was something about it that made her feel so special. Korra's heart was racing.

"Asami," Korra swallowed hard. "I'm sorry for judging you today."

"So, you  _were_ judging me, huh? That's what I thought," she chuckled. "Does it have anything to do with Mako?"

"I don't know," Korra shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't really matter, anyway. I kept making assumptions about you in my head... but you're a lot better than I was hoping you'd be. I've actually enjoyed talking you tonight, if I'm being honest. I get what Mako sees in you."

"Were you hoping I was terrible?" Asami laughed.

"Maybe a little bit..." she confessed. 

Asami smiled, "Well, thanks for being honest with me again. And for the record, I've enjoyed talking to you tonight, too. Perhaps we'll have more opportunities to get to know each other."

"I hope so," Korra blushed, scratching her head.

 


	4. Friends

" _Asami, it's me... Mako. Buzz me in?_ "

" _The door's actually open. Let yourself in. I'm in my room."_

Asami looked at herself in the mirror as she applied a coat of her signature dark lipstick. She pressed her lips together, rubbing in the lipstick. She heard her door make a sound and turned her head, smiling at the sight of Mako.

"Hi," she greeted, standing up.

"Hey," he greeted. "How was last night? I feel bad for leaving you all alone with Korra—"

"Are you crazy?" she shook her head, laughing. "Don't feel bad about leaving me with her. In fact, I'm  _glad_ you did. I like Korra... a lot."

"Really?" Mako was surprised. "I mean, yeah, Korra's awesome, but I wasn't really expecting the two of you to hit it off. Especially since I think she might be a little bit jealous..."

Asami shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe, but there's something about her that I like."

Mako smiled, "Well, I'm glad that you two are becoming friends. I was afraid that it was going to be awkward forever. I know I messed up pretty badly by blowing everyone off this summer. I guess I just got caught up in everything happening between us."

Asami smiled. Would she really become friends with Korra? She wondered if it was possible. They had a good thing going on the previous night, but maybe she was just doing it to make Mako happy. Asami certainly didn't hate the thought of actually becoming Korra's friend, though.

* * *

"Korra? Is that you?"

Korra's head turned sharply. She almost jumped back in her seat when she saw Asami looking at her. 

"Uh... yeah, hey, Asami," she greeted, scratching her head. "You're in this class?"

Asami nodded her head, "It's required for my business pathway. What's your major?"

"Kinesiology, but... I don't really know what I wanna do, to be honest," Korra sighed, running a hand through her short hair. "It must be nice to have a clear idea of what the rest of your life looks like."

Really, Asami seemed to have everything figured out. She knew exactly what she wanted to study—business and engineering—and she knew exactly what job she was going to have—working at Future Industries after her father stepped down—and she knew exactly who she was going to spend the rest of her life with—Mako. Meanwhile, Korra had no idea what she wanted to study; she just picked a major that seemed somewhat interesting and kept going with it. Hell, she didn't even know if she wanted to be  _in_ college. It was just what people expected of her. And obviously, if she didn't know what she wanted to study, she had no idea where she wanted to work. Also, she had never even been in a relationship before, so she clearly had no idea about  _that_.

Asami shook her head, "We all have doubts about our lives. I have a plan for myself, yes, but life never goes as we plan it. Plans are tentative."

"Philosophical," Korra commented sincerely, a small smile curving on to the sides of her mouth. "You sure you aren't majoring in philosophy?"

"Positive," Asami chuckled. 

"Well, anyway, I'm not sure what econ has to do with kinesiology, but... it's a required course for me, too, so I've gotta get it done," she shrugged her shoulders.

"We can figure it out together," Asami smiled. "Is this seat taken?"

"It is now," Korra smiled back.

* * *

In a matter of weeks, Korra grew fond of Asami Sato.

It practically became a daily routine for Korra to go over to the Sato mansion. As the semester progressed, Korra lost count of the number of study sessions they had, usually late at night. Sometimes they worked hard and got good studying done, but often times, they got off topic, talking about all sorts of things. Sometimes even extremely personal things.

"Sometimes I wish my father would be more present in my life," Asami confessed, leaning back in her bed.

Korra was sitting on a chair by Asami's desk. They were supposed to be doing their economics homework assignment, but unsurprisingly, they started talking about family.

"I understand that he has to run the business, but... it feels like I'm alone here sometimes," she continued, sighing. She stared out the window. Korra's heart fell listening to it, seeing the sadness in Asami's face when she glanced over at the other girl. 

"You're not alone, Asami."

Asami smiled sincerely, "If I'm being completely honest, I've started to feel a lot less alone since I met you, Korra."

Korra's heart fluttered.

"...and Mako, of course," she suddenly added. "All of you, actually. I feel like I'm surrounded by people I care about now. You, Mako, Bolin, and Opal have been wonderful to me since I arrived."

Then Korra's heart sank. She should've figured. Sometimes she forgot that Asami was even engaged to Mako.

"Yeah, well... I'm glad you're here now," Korra told her. "I've never really had a, um... a girl friend." 

Asami chuckled, "Me neither. Not one I'm close with, at least." 

Korra nodded her head, "Opal's been a great friend, but we've never been  _that_ close. It's nice, um... it's nice to have somebody I can talk to."

"I feel the same way," Asami beamed. "I've never told anyone much about my family, not even Mako. But for some reason, Korra, I feel like I can trust you. I feel like I can be open with you."

"That's because you can," Korra assured her. 

Asami tilted her head, "You know, you can be open with me, too. You are sometimes, but... I want you to know that you can always talk to me." 

"Well, I don't really have anything to share," she shrugged.

"Really?" Asami raised her eyebrows. "I've always found that  _everybody_ has secrets."

Korra stared at the floor. There was something she had been meaning to discuss, but she didn't know if she could talk to anybody about it. She felt like she could tell Asami, especially since Asami had always been extremely open with her about her private life. 

"I'm afraid to tell anyone, but... I've been thinking that maybe school just isn't for me," Korra confessed. 

Asami was a bit stunned. "You don't want to finish studying at RU? You're almost halfway done!"

"I know, and maybe I want to finish, 'cause I feel like I've gotta have a degree so I can be employable and all, but... I'm not sure if I even wanna do anything related to kinesiology," Korra confessed. "I've thought about maybe going into physical therapy or something, but part of me also feels like that just isn't what I see myself doing."

"What  _do_ you see yourself doing?" Asami asked.

Korra hadn't exactly decided that, either. 

"I don't know, and that's what makes this a million times harder," she sighed. "I can't just quit school if I have no plan." She paused for a second before saying, "I've always kinda... liked fighting."

"Fighting?" Asami was surprised.

Korra nodded her head, "It just makes me feel alive. Over the summer, I was doing a lot of boxing. I still go sometimes, but with my classes, there's not as much time to explore that."

"So, is  _that_ where you got those killer biceps?" Asami chuckled.

"I've been doing it for a while, but since I had so much free time last summer, I spent so much of my time doing it."

"I think that's amazing, Korra," Asami commented.

"Really?"

Asami nodded her head, "In fact, I'd like to maybe see you at it some time. Perhaps I could come to one of your sessions?"

Korra was surprised at Asami's interest in her boxing.

"Seriously?" she grinned. "Yeah, of course! That'd be fun! Maybe you could get in there and try it yourself."

Korra was sure that Asami was simply going to laugh at the idea. However, she was surprised to find that Asami's response was much different than what she was expecting.

"I think I will. It could be fun."

* * *

 Sweat was dripping down Korra's body as she furiously threw punches at the bag in front of her. She moved around it in circles, going from punches to kicks, really getting her mind into it. She was in a different zone when she was practicing. Korra's instructor didn't even feel the need to break her out of it, as she was a natural.

Asami tried to come in quietly, not wanting to disturb Korra. The instructor welcomed her inside, and the both of them just watched Korra go at it from the sidelines. After realizing she had been doing this for much too long, Korra finally stopped herself. She was panting heavily, trying to regain her composure. Slowly, she turned around, almost jumping back when she saw Asami waiting there for her.

"Asami!" Korra exclaimed.

"Hey! I'm finally here to see you," she smiled. "That was...  _wow_. You're really good at that, you know?"

Korra blushed, "Thank you."

The instructor cut in, "So, this is the friend you've been telling me about, Korra? Asami?"

Korra nodded her head, "She wanted to see what it's like here... maybe try it out herself."

"Well, Asami, I'm glad to hear that you're interested in learning to fight," the instructor commented.

"It can't be a bad idea to learn how to defend myself, right?"

"Certainly not," he nodded his head. "Why don't you show me a little bit of what you can do so I can get an idea of where you're at?"

Asami seemed nervous. She glanced at Korra, searching for some type of advice. Korra reached her hand out, squeezing Asami's arm.

"It's nothing serious. Just do your best, okay? It'll be fine," Korra assured her.

The instructor offered her a pair of boxing gloves. Asami nodded her head, accepting them, walking toward the bag. She stood about half a foot away from the bag, taking a deep breath before getting into a stance as if she were soon going to hit the bag. Korra watched, sensing Asami's hesitance. She wanted to tell Asami that it was fine if she was hesitant and that she didn't have to do this if she didn't want to. Korra realized that the whole concept of getting into fighting was probably intimidating for most people—

Asami launched a couple punches into the bag. 

"All right. Good start," the instructor commented.

But Asami didn't seem finished. In fact, she was just getting started. The first few punches gave her this new sense of energy, which was only driving her to want to continue. She kept going, throwing more punches, even adding in a few kicks here and there. Korra was amazed—it certainly didn't seem like she was new to fighting. Asami thought that she would tire out quickly, but the more she did this, the more energized she became. She felt a sense of control and power. It felt like she was releasing all of her anger right there.

"Wow," Asami breathed, finally stepping back from the bag.

She turned around to face a stunned Korra and a stunned instructor. She smiled sheepishly. Maybe she got  _too_ into it for her first time.

"Wow...  _indeed_ ," Korra's eyes widened. "You sure that this is the first time you've done this?"

"Maybe I've just got a lot of anger deep down," Asami chuckled, scratching her head. "It felt good... to do that."

The instructor smiled, "Well, you certainly have much potential. I'd love to see you back here."

Korra grinned, "You should definitely come back."

"Maybe I will," Asami nodded her head. "But for now, I think I'll just watch you go at it. It's better to learn from the pros, right?"

"Uh... well, I'm no pro, but... yeah, you should stay," she smiled.

* * *

"You're interested in boxing now?"

"When did you get so judgmental?"

"I'm not...  _judging_ ," Mako shook his head. "I just didn't know that was something you were interested in."

"I mean, I never really thought about it until—"

"Korra?" Mako guessed.

Asami nodded her head, "Yeah. Korra."

Mako smiled weakly as he walked his fianceé to her door. 

"Thanks for picking me up," Asami said, cupping Mako's cheeks. 

"Of course. When you called, I was eager to come get you, to be honest," he confessed. "I feel like I haven't seen you much lately."

"And I'm sorry for that," she said sadly. "I guess things have been pretty busy for me lately. But why don't you stay right now?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Mako grinned, following Asami inside.

He continued to follow her upstairs to her bedroom. Once they got inside, a tired Asami jumped on to her bed, laying on her back.

"Korra's amazing," she commented suddenly, staring up at her ceiling. "I feel like I've really gotten to know her over this last semester." 

"Yeah, she's great," Mako nodded his head. He was honestly surprised that Asami and Korra had grown so close. He always thought they'd remain acquaintances, especially since Mako had been pretty sure that Korra had feelings for him. Why would she be so open to becoming friends with Asami?  He commented, "You guys are really good friends now, huh?"

Asami smiled, "Yeah, I'd say so. I love spending time with her."

"Good. That's good," Mako smiled back. "As long as you two aren't hostile, I'm happy."

"Why would we be hostile? We've never been hostile," Asami chuckled.

"Yeah, I know, but I was worried that she'd ice you out. I never expected her to come to you with open arms," Mako shrugged his shoulders. "It's interesting."

"Well, I always knew there was something I liked about her, but... I never expected to have such a connection with her," Asami explained. "I feel like she really understands me, Mako. It's... amazing. I don't know if anyone in my life has ever gotten me the way she does."

Mako furrowed his eyebrows, "I get you, Asami."

"Yeah, of course," Asami smiled weakly. "I'm sorry if that's weird to say. I just really like that I finally have a close friend. It's different with you, though. You're not just a friend."

Mako chuckled, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Korra's a wild card, but she's one of my favorite people." 

Mako sat down on the bed, placing his hand on Asami's leg, squeezing it to reassure her.

"Asami, maybe you don't look at me as a 'friend,' but I can still be here for you like a friend, you know," he assured her. "We're going to be spending the rest of our lives together, so I want you to be able to trust me like I'm your friend. You know I love you, right?"

"I guess I've been spending so much time with Korra that we haven't seen each other much," Asami admitted. "I do trust you, Mako."

"Good," he smiled. "I'm glad." He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. "So, you and Korra had that class together?"

Asami nodded her head, "Economics class."

"Maybe you and I should sign up for the same course next semester," Mako grinned. "I'd kill to have some of those late night study sessions with you. Wouldn't it be fun to be in the same class?"

"Maybe we should," Asami laughed.

"I'm a little bit serious. We'd be able to spend a lot more time together," he said.

"Well, we'll have to see what classes we need to take and figure out if there's one that possibly overlaps," she reminded. "But, if there is, we should definitely take it."

Mako relaxed, laying down next to Asami. He reached over to take her hand, which Asami accepted. Then, she looked back up at the ceiling, starting to think about Korra again. She couldn't deny what an exciting day it was, especially trying out boxing for the first time. She was seriously considering starting to do boxing. 

She felt so lucky that Korra was her friend.


	5. Realizations

"It's  _finally_ break! We should go somewhere—do something. Go on a trip or something to celebrate. I could fly us to Ember Island!" 

Korra smiled, scratching her head nervously. "T-that sounds great and all, but..."

"You don't want to?" Asami guessed, feeling a bit rejected. "That's fine if you don't want to, Korra. I thought you'd want to relax a bit after finals."

"No, it's not that I don't want to! I  _do_ , but... I kind of have something I need to do over break," Korra revealed.

Asami raised her eyebrows, "Oh? And that something is...?"

Korra sighed, "You have to promise not to tell anyone. My parents would kill me if they found out—"

"I'm not going to tell anybody," Asami assured her. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Giving in, Korra confessed, "I've entered a boxing match. It's a... competition."

"Wow," Asami pressed her lips together. "Isn't that dangerous? I mean, you've never actually  _fought_ anybody before..."

"That's kind of why I can't tell people about this. They'd tell me not to do it."

"Well, are they wrong to tell you not to do it?"

Korra folded her arms, "Just say it: you don't think I should do it either."

Asami sighed, "Look, it's not that I don't think you should do it. I'm just...  _worried_. I don't want you to get hurt, Korra."

"Then I'll just have to practice. Tons of people do it!" Korra assured her. 

"What if I practice with you?" Asami offered. "I think I've been improving a lot since starting my lessons." 

"Trust me, you were already incredible when you started," Korra chuckled.

Asami smiled, "Well, I'd be more than happy to help you train... I mean, only if you'd have me, of course."

"It could only help," Korra gave her a crooked smile back.

Asami squeezed Korra's arm, "When the match is over,  _then_ would you agree to a trip with me? We could invite the others, too, of course. I'm sure Mako would be happy to tag along. And I can't see Bolin and Opal turning down an opportunity to relax during break."

"Sure," Korra nodded her head. "I mean, as long as I don't get beat up so badly I can't."

* * *

Asami was heading out of her place, holding a bag with her boxing stuff. She was startled when she saw Mako standing right there. She almost jumped back.

" _Mako_!" she cried. "You surprised me!"

"Yeah, I decided to make an unexpected visit 'cause I miss you so much," he grinned, leaning in to peck her lips, which she nervously returned. "We may not have had much time for each other during the semester because of our classes and all, but it's finally break and I can't wait to spend it with you."

"Yeah, me too, but... not right now," she bit her lip. "I actually have to be somewhere right now, but I promise I'll call you later."

"What?" he furrowed his eyebrows. "Where do you need to be?" 

She sighed, "Um..."

"Let me guess: Korra?" he finished for her. He was slightly disappointed because, for some reason, Korra seemed to have become the center of Asami's universe lately. He assumed that it was just because they were in the same economics class and were spending a lot of time together studying and all, so they naturally became good friends, but now that classes were over, they were  _still_ all about each other? 

"Don't be this way, Mako. We can go out for dinner. I really just need to help her with something right now," she assured him.

"What do you need to help her with?" he asked.

She pressed her lips together, struggling to find the words to say. She promised Korra that she wouldn't tell anybody about the boxing match, and she was sure that Mako would become protective and worried if she revealed that Korra was going to fight competitively. 

"Just... boxing stuff. I promised her that we'd practice together," she told him.

"Okay. I understand," he smiled weakly. He didn't want to be _that_ guy who made his significant other cancel her plans for him. He was happy that Asami and Korra had become good friends, but he was starting to realize how much that was affecting his relationship with Asami. He just hoped that they'd be able to spend time together over break. "Call me later?"

"Of course," Asami smiled, leaning in to peck his lips.

"Love you," he said.

"Bye," she walked away.

Part of him was a little bit hurt that she didn't say it back, but he reminded himself that Asami  _did_ love him. She wouldn't have agreed to marry him if she didn't love him. They were just in an odd place because she was so busy, but he knew that marriage was going to be difficult. He knew that relationships were difficult. She was eventually going to take over Future Industries, and he'd have to continue to deal with how busy she was. He'd just have to have faith in her love for him.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late. Mako was getting suspicious."

Korra's eyes widened. "You didn't tell him, did—"

" _Of course not_ ," Asami cut her off, shaking her head. "Korra, I would never do that to you. You can trust me."

"But he's... Mako," she shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't blame you if you felt like you had to tell him."

Asami tilted her head to the side, "I don't like lying to him, but you're my friend. It's not my secret to tell." 

Korra smiled. The more they talked, the more she felt like she could trust Asami. 

"Are you ready to get started?" Asami asked, putting on her boxing gloves. 

Korra nodded her head, getting into her initial fighting stance. She smirked at Asami teasingly.

"You're going down," she said confidently.

"Oh, really?" Asami smirked back. "Don't get so cocky. If you're going to win, you're going to have to earn it."

"Trust me, I'll earn it."

On the count of three, the two girls began their fight. Both of them were in their fighting stance, glaring at each other as they moved in a circular pattern, both waiting for the right moment to strike. Suddenly, Korra threw the first punch, which Asami skillfully dodged, ducking down. She smirked proudly when she got back up, leaving Korra frustrated. They kept moving in circles until Korra felt comfortable enough to throw another punch, which Asami again skillfully dodged. 

Then, Asami decided to take charge by throwing her first punch. Naturally, Korra dodged the first punch. But she was feeling so good about dodging the punch that she was caught off guard when Asami launched another quick punch. The punch pushed Korra backward. She arched her eyebrows, energizing herself, then threw a series of punches, all of which Asami dodged.

"You're definitely not making this easy for me, huh?" 

"I told you: you're going to have to earn your win," Asami said with a smirk.

Korra most certainly intended to earn her victory. She ducked down, performing a sweeping kick that knocked Asami down on to the mat. But as she was falling, she grabbed Korra's arm so that the tanner girl fell down as well, landing right on top of her. Korra's breath hitched as she fell on top of Asami, her arms gripping on to the other girl's wrists, holding her down against the mat.

Their faces were just centimeters apart. Korra could feel Asami's breath on her face. She swallowed hard, feeling something forming in her stomach—something good yet scary, like the stomach knot that comes from going down a huge drop on a roller coaster combined with the satisfaction of getting through it. She was staring right into Asami's deep green eyes. Asami was staring right back into her piercing blue eyes.

And at that moment when Korra was looking at Asami, she became aware of something—something she might have wondered about for a while now, but was too afraid to admit it, even to herself.

Korra was almost positive that she was feeling something for Asami Sato. Something...  _romantic_. And it was scaring the hell out of her.

She didn't know how to deal with her own feelings. 

"Uh, wow..." Asami commented, biting her lip.

"...I guess I, um... win?" Korra gave her a crooked smile.

Asami rolled her eyes playfully, "Yeah, I guess you do. At least you earned it."

Finally, Korra released Asami's wrists, moving off of the other girl, giving her space. Asami took a deep breath before pulling herself off of the floor. She reached down, offering Korra a hand to get up, which was gladly accepted. 

"I think I might need some water before we continue," Asami chuckled, walking off to the side to grab her water bottle.

While Asami was drinking water, all Korra could think about was the moment they shared. Korra had never been more confused in her life. She had never had feelings like this, especially not feelings for a  _girl_. She had certainly felt something for Mako in the past, but that was different from what she was feeling now. Whatever she was feeling for Asami felt a lot more intense.

Korra was curious to know what her feelings meant. She hoped that it was just temporary amazement toward Asami. After all, Asami was an incredibly impressive woman. But she was doubtful; when they were on the floor, Korra had a strange, strong desire to lean in to kiss her. She was curious to know what it would feel like to kiss Asami. She scolded herself for even thinking that way. It was crazy, right? Asami obviously wasn't thinking the same way as she was.

But sometimes Korra did feel like there was something between her and Asami. There was this wonderful connection between the two of them. It was always so easy to talk to Asami; she felt like she could tell her anything. Maybe that was just close friendship, but sometimes the way Asami looked at her with those green eyes had her thinking that maybe it was more than just a friendship. Maybe Asami felt something, too, as crazy as it seemed. Possible, but not plausible. 

"Korra, aren't you tired? Do you want some water?" Asami asked.

"N-no, I'm fine," she answered.

Asami came over to Korra with her water bottle in hand.

"You should hydrate. Come on. Drink some of mine," she offered sweetly.

Korra gave in, accepting the water bottle from Asami's hands. She took a sip. 

"I think you're going to be amazing out there," Asami revealed. "Of course, I'm worried for your safety, but I believe in you, Korra."

"Really?" Korra beamed. It felt so nice to hear that she believed in her, because she was pretty sure that nobody else would believe in her if she told them the truth about the boxing match. She figured they'd all tell her that she was going to get beat senseless, injured terribly, ruining her chances for a future. 

"Really," Asami nodded her head. "I can't wait to see you in action."

"You're coming?"

Asami looked at her in disbelief, " _Of course_ I'm coming. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Korra smiled warmly, her heart beating even faster than before.

She had come to a realization: she had most definitely fallen for Asami Sato.

 

 

 


	6. Realizations II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I said boxing, I now realize I should've said kickboxing... Oh well. Boxing now means kickboxing here :))))

The day of Korra's first match had finally arrived, and Asami couldn't help but feel anxious as she got ready to leave. She knew that Korra was talented, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying anyway. What if she blanked out for a mere second and got seriously hurt? Asami couldn't stomach the thought of Korra getting hurt. 

Before she headed out, her phone started ringing. It was a call from Mako.

_"Hey! What are you doing tonight?"_

_"Oh... um... I actually have plans... with Korra."_

_"Well, that's disappointing. I thought we could hang out tonight."_

_"I'm sorry, Mako. I can't tonight, but I've actually been thinking—what if we take a group trip to Ember Island?"_

_"A trip? You want to take a trip right now?"_

_"I don't know. It could be fun. I mean, we're on break."_

_"Honestly, I don't know if a group trip is a good idea. My parents are still on my tail about not keeping in touch over the summer and... I guess I was hoping that we could spend break together—just you and me."_

In all honesty, Mako felt like their relationship needed some serious repair time. He was hoping that some quality time together over break would do the trick. Asami, however, was disappointed, as she had been looking forward to it. She figured she should have told Mako about it sooner, but her mind had been all over the place during the beginning of break since she was helping Korra train.

_"You're right. I'll stay."_

_"You're not upset, are you?"_

_"No, no... of course not. I'm fine, but I actually have to get going right now."_

_"Okay. Talk to you later."_

_"Yeah."_

Maybe Mako was right. While a group trip to Ember Island would've been fun, she hadn't been putting much effort into her relationship with Mako lately. She couldn't blame him for feeling neglected. She was well-aware of the fact that she was spending a bit too much time with Korra, but she couldn't help it. Whenever she was with Korra, she didn't want to leave. Even when they were doing something as exhausting as training.

Asami drove to the stadium where the match was being held. It was a medium-sized stadium that was quite far from the heart of the city. Asami figured that Korra had to go somewhere not too close to home if she wanted to keep this a secret from everyone.

She walked inside of the stadium, where a decent amount of people were gathered to watch. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she stared at the ring, where she knew that Korra would soon come to fight. 

Soon enough, a bulky girl emerged on one side of the ring. She was extremely muscular, worrying Asami. Korra was also buff, of course, but this woman was different. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap, trying not to fear the worst. She kept reminding herself that Korra knew what she was doing. She did believe in her.

Korra emerged on the other side of the ring, a look of determination in her blue eyes. Her look of determination faded as she scanned the audience around her, eyes locking with Asami's when she saw the other girl. A faint yet sincere smile curled on to Korra's lips when she saw that Asami was there. She was already aware that Asami was coming, but it felt reassuring to actually see her there. Asami smiled back.

Korra regained her focus, pushing her look of determination back on to her face. She stared right at her opponent, preparing to just get in there and take her down. 

The host came out and started announcing things like who was fighting, but Asami just tuned him out, watching Korra intensely. She needed this to go well. Whatever happened, she just didn't want Korra to be hurt when this ended.

The sound of the bell filled the stadium, indicating that it was  _go time_. Both of them were in their fighting stances—squinted eyes, low bodies, and punch-ready fists. 

The buff lady threw a punch, which Korra evaded by ducking to the side. Korra retaliated by throwing three punches back, which the lady avoided. Korra felt frustration growing inside of her, throwing her game off, allowing the buff lady to throw in a punch to the stomach, knocking Korra back. She let out a quiet groan, trying to ignore the pain of the punch and regain her composure. Korra was determined to take charge. All she had to do was knock her opponent down, right?

Asami's face fell when she saw the lady take a successful punch at Korra. It wasn't even close to over yet, but just seeing someone attack her was painful to watch.

The lady was smirking now, further infuriating Korra. She was so satisfied with her successful punch. But Korra wasn't going to let  _one_ punch throw her off of her game. She charged forward, throwing endless punches at her opponent, pushing her back on the other side of the ring. Her opponent growled, pushing Korra back off of her. Korra ran back to her side of the ring, charging forward again while her opponent was slowly approaching her. Korra built up her speed before jumping up, drop kicking her opponent, knocking her to the floor of the ring. The lady flinched, trying to pull herself up, but clearly unable to do so from receiving such a hard kick. 

" _Aaaaand we have a winner_!" the host exclaimed, running into the ring and grabbing Korra's arm, lifting it up. "Give up for  _Korra_!"

Asami's eyes lit up as the audience cheered Korra's name. She won. She really won. It was her very first match, and she won. 

Some other people came into the ring to help Korra's buff opponent get up back on her feet, assisting her out of the ring. Korra exited the ring as well, heading to the back with some people.

"Kid, you were amazing out there," the host grinned. "We'd love to have ya back here. There are plenty of matches happening. You could make some good cash out of it, too." 

"Cash?" her eyes went wide.

The host nodded his head, "You think you're doing this for free? We pay. Getting in there ain't an easy thing to do, kid."

Korra stood there in silence as the host handed her a pretty thick wad of cash for her first match. She couldn't believe it. She didn't even know she was going to get paid for this.

Just then, Asami came running into the back. Without any words, she grabbed Korra and pulled her into a long hug. Korra was startled, but eased into it, hugging Asami back tightly. 

"You did it!" Asami exclaimed. "You're  _amazing_ , Korra!"

Asami reached over, squeezing Korra's hand. Korra squeezed back.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she told her. "Thank you for training with me... and supporting me... and showing up today."

"Of course."

She gazed into Asami's eyes again and those same feelings from the other day came rushing back through her body, the butterflies back in her stomach. She didn't want to let go of Asami's hand. And the way Asami was looking at her right now? Korra wasn't just seeing things, right?

"I have bad news," Asami suddenly said, releasing Korra's hand. "We can't go to Ember Island."

"Oh... man," Korra sighed, nodding her head. "That's fine. Is everything okay?"

Asami looked at her sadly, "Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not exactly sure, but I think I have to stay here to be with Mako. We haven't seen each other much lately."

_Mako. Mako. Mako._

God, how could Korra be so stupid? She felt like a complete idiot. She couldn't believe she even entertained the idea of Asami feeling something for her. Asami was  _engaged_ to  _Mako_. She loved Mako. Anything she thought was "between them" was all in her head. It was clear now.

She came to another realization: Asami didn't feel anything for her and she never would.

 


	7. Observe

Korra made two major realizations during the beginning of break, but one thing she didn't realize until it hit her right in the face was the massive hole in her heart caused by Asami's absence from her life. She had figured out that she felt something for Asami. And she had also figured out that she'd never have Asami. But it was now undeniable how much Asami meant to her. She had been missing the other girl like crazy. She went from seeing her practically every day to not seeing her at all... just like that.

After the match, Asami truly meant it when she said that she was going to focus on her relationship with Mako. She, essentially, disappeared from Korra's life, probably spending all of her break time with her fiancé. Understandable. After all, he  _was_ her fiancé.

But it was odd. She felt detached from all of her friends. It hurt to not see Asami, of course. But she also hadn't hung out with Mako in a while. And she certainly hadn't hung out with Bolin or Opal, either. It was like an amplified version of the disconnect she felt over the summer while Mako was away. But this time, it wasn't just Mako she was disconnected from—it was everyone.

She spent most of her time de-stressing by throwing punches at a punching bag. Training was the only thing keeping her sane. Her human interaction was mainly limited to her instructor and her parents. She couldn't believe it, but she was almost  _excited_ to go back to school.

* * *

Walking to class alone.

It wasn't how Korra had imagined her first day back at RU, but she didn't have much of a choice. She didn't exactly have a class-coordination session with Mako or Asami, since they were probably too busy cuddling up to each other. Korra shuddered at the thought. She wondered if they had been pulled so much closer together over break. That must be what happened, right? That was the whole point of Asami's sudden inability to spend time with anyone other than Mako. 

She felt two hands grab her shoulders, but had to fight the urge to roundhouse kick her "attacker." She really had been spending too much time training. The last thing she needed right now was to start a fight on her first day. 

"Hey, I was hoping I'd run into you!" Mako grinned. 

Reluctantly, Korra turned around. She wanted to be more enthusiastic, but she felt such a heavy disconnect that it was bumming her out more than cheering her up. She thought that she would be excited to see her friends again. 

"Man, I feel like it's been ages since we've hung out," Mako told her. "...which is why we're all going to Narook's tonight to hang out!"

"We  _are_?" Korra raised her eyebrows.

Mako nodded his head, "I've been wanting to hang out with everyone again. I had my hands full over break, but I'm free now."

_Hands full with Asami, that was._

"You know, I'm getting a bit of deja vu," Korra said bitterly. "This feels like the time you disappeared over the summer. Of course, break was a lot shorter than summer, but... you get the point. Especially when you told me you wouldn't do something like this again."

Instantly, Mako felt guilty. He felt like such a jerk.

"Korra, I'm so sorry," he said sympathetically. "If I'm being honest, my relationship with Asami was getting weak and we needed time together badly. We worked through a lot."

"Well, that's just how it's going to be from now on, isn't it?" she growled. " _Asami's_ the center of your world?"

Mako pressed his lips together, stunned. He had forgotten what a temper Korra had sometimes. She often lost control of her emotions and exploded.

"What's your deal?" he growled back. "I'm not the only one to blame! Over the summer,  _you_ could've called  _me_. But you didn't! Maybe  _you_ ignored  _me_ , huh? And we didn't hang out for most of the semester because you were kind of too busy hanging out with Asami! Is it so bad that I wanted some time with her, too?"

And now, Korra felt like the big jerk. Her face sank. 

"You're right."

"I _am_?" his eyes widened. "I mean—you're agreeing with me so quickly? You're not even going to try to fight me back?"

"No, because you're right," she repeated. "I'm blaming you when a lot of this is my fault. I'll be at Narook's tonight."

Mako offered her a smile. He reached out to touch her shoulders, squeezing them gently. Before he knew it, Korra yanked him in for a long, warm hug. It was a familiar warmth. She had missed him. She didn't like shutting him out.

* * *

Arriving at Narook's that night, Korra couldn't help but feel shy. It was her first time seeing all of her friends in one place in a long time. And most of all, she was nervous to see Asami again. Things were going to be different now. Mako was her priority. 

"Hey, guys," she greeted weakly, sitting herself down at the booth next to Bolin.

" _Korra_!" Bolin exclaimed, excitedly giving the girl a side-hug.

She offered Bolin a weak smile before looking up and seeing Asami right in front of her, sitting at the other side of the booth. She was sitting next to Mako. He has his arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. They looked like a wonderful couple, which wasn't so wonderful for Korra.

She desperately wished that she could be a good friend—a normal friend. She wished that she could treat them like Bolin and Opal did. The two of them were so happy for Mako and Asami and they supported their relationship. They wanted their friends to be happy together. But, as much as she wanted Mako and Asami to be happy, Korra couldn't help but feel sickened by the sight of them so happy together. It was like they were better than ever after break. All their catching up probably revived the spark.

"Hi, Korra," Asami said, looking straight at her. "I've missed you."

Korra couldn't process her words to say anything back. She just smiled weakly at Asami. 

Just then, Opal walked over to the booth with a radiant smile on her face. She waved to everyone blissfully before scooting into the booth next to Korra. 

"Hi, everyone!" Opal exclaimed, earning her a chorus of greetings from the group. "I am  _seriously_ craving some noodles right now."

"Aren't we all?" Mako grinned. 

"Sooo, how was everyone's break?" Opal asked curiously. 

Asami and Mako glanced at each other, their faces looking smirky and happy. A knot formed in Korra's stomach—but it wasn't the good, butterflies knot that she had gotten before. It was a knot of things feeling unbalanced in her life. It was a knot of not liking what she was seeing.

Her eyes visibly sank when she saw the way Mako and Asami were looking at each other.

"We had a  _great_ time, to say the least," Mako answered. 

"Yeah, you must've been pretty busy, brother," Bolin scoffed, wiggling his eyebrows. "Even  _I_ didn't see much of you." Then, he glanced over at Korra, whose sunken eyes were fixed on Mako and Asami's close position. "I didn't see much of you either, Korra." 

Korra was too in her own world to have even listened to Bolin's comments. But Bolin was staring right at her, expecting some type of response. Opal glanced over as well, wondering what was up with Korra, who was especially silent tonight. She then realized that Korra seemed distraught to see Mako and Asami together. She furrowed her eyebrows. Was it jealousy. Opal had always had a feeling that Korra was into Mako. 

"Korra?" Bolin pressed.

" _Hmm_?" she snapped out of her thinking and turned her head to look at Bolin. "What did you say?" 

"I was wondering why I didn't see much of you over break," Bolin repeated. "Are you okay?"

Korra tensed. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just... I spent a lot of time to myself over break. It was nice."

"Nothing wrong with some me-time," Bolin grinned. "But don't do that too much, 'cause I missed seeing your face. Pabu did, too." 

Korra chuckled, "I'll try, Bo."

Some minutes after they ordered, their food finally arrived at the table.

Mako had his arm around Asami, holding her close to his side. They were talking quietly, leaving the conversation up to Korra's imagination. She slouched in her seat, feeling the ache build in her stomach the longer she watched the two of them together. She didn't want to see them together, but she couldn't peel her eyes away. It was like she  _wanted_ to torture herself. 

And her jealous stares didn't go unnoticed by Opal. Bolin was too distracted by his food to notice.

Suddenly, Korra excused herself, "I'll be right back. I need some fresh air." 

Asami finally pulled away from Mako, looking over at Korra with concern.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. 

"Mhm," Korra nodded her head. "I just came from a boxing class and I need a second to breathe."

She got up from the table, rushing off from her friends. The remaining four glanced at each other, all finally realizing that something might be up. Opal stood up. 

"I'll go check on her," she announced. "You guys keep eating."

"Wait, maybe I should come with you," Asami suggested. She figured that she had always been good at getting Korra to talk. 

"No, I've got this," Opal assured her, smiling weakly. "Don't worry."

Normally, Opal would have been fine with Asami tagging along, but she had a feeling that this problem  _involved_ Asami. Mako and Asami, to be more specific.

Opal hurried, following Korra, who was rushing out the front of Narook's. Opal watched sympathetically as Korra leaned against the wall outside, taking a deep breath. She seemed so sad and Opal wasn't sure what she was supposed to do to help... but she was planning on trying.

"Hey," Opal said, stepping outside of Narook's as well.

Korra's head jerked up, startled by Opal's voice.

"Did you  _follow_ me out here?" Korra accused, folding her arms.

"I was worried about you," Opal admitted.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me," Korra shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You're  _not_ fine," Opal tilted her head to the side. "Korra, I know you like to bottle your feelings up... I know you don't like to talk about things because, for whatever reason, you think you can't tell people what you're feeling, but you  _can_. You can tell  _me_. You can tell all of us—we're your friends."

Korra remained silent, pressing her lips together.

Finally, she spoke, "I can't... tell any of you."

"You  _can_. I promise."

Korra glanced over at Opal weakly, wanting so badly to tell her what had been going on in her head, but she just couldn't do it. She couldn't say the words aloud—she couldn't tell somebody these weird feelings that she had been having. If she said them aloud, then they would become a reality and she'd have to really deal with the repercussions of it. She was worried what people would think if they found out. 

"Are you jealous?" Opal guessed. That had been her suspicion the entire time, seeing the way Korra had loathed looking at Mako and Asami together. Opal wasn't the only person who really thought that Korra had feelings for Mako. It wouldn't be surprising if she was jealous of their relationship. "...of Mako and Asami?"

The teary-eyed look that Korra was giving her was enough of an answer.

"Korra, I know it can be hard to like somebody when they're with another person, but you have to push through," Opal said. "Mako is our friend and he's happy with her."

"Don't you think I  _know_ that?" she sighed. 

Opal looked at her sympathetically, "Look, there are going to be plenty of boys in the future. Maybe you always had an idea that it would be you and Mako in the end, but things don't always work out how we want them to. I get it if you want to be with Mako, but I promise you that you're going to be okay and that you're going to find a guy who deserves you. Don't be jealous of Asami."

Korra's brain was about to explode from hearing about Mako. She didn't know how much longer she could go on listening to Opal console her about how she needed to get over Mako because it just wasn't true. She didn't have feelings for Mako. Maybe at one point she considered him romantically, but that wasn't the case anymore.

"I'm not jealous of Asami!" she exploded.

Opal arched her eyebrows, suddenly growing confused. 

"What do you mean?" Opal asked. "I thought you liked Mako..." 

Korra pressed her lips together, wondering if Opal would be able to put the pieces together. It would be difficult, but she wondered if Opal would figure it out. She felt a knot in her stomach as she stood there, her eyes shying away from Opal, fixed on to the hard ground. If Opal figured it out, everything would be out on the table. She would be exposed.

"Wait, do you..." Opal's eyes widened. "D-do you like..."

She didn't even finish her sentence; she just stared at Korra. Apparently, she  _had_ figured it out. Korra forgot just how smart Opal was. Korra couldn't bring herself to look at Opal now,  _especially_ now. The thought was out there; it was suddenly becoming real. Somebody knew what she had been hiding in her own mind for so long now. What if Opal told somebody? What if she spilled to Bolin? What if Bolin spilled to Mako? And what if, somehow, Asami found out in the end? The scene in her head was frightening—Asami thinking she was weird, keeping her distance because she didn't like it. 

"Korra," Opal said her name, unsure of what to say. She had never been in this situation before. "It's okay."

At that point, Korra couldn't even stop the stream of tears from crashing down her cheeks. She didn't try to fight the tears from falling anymore. 

"Please don't tell anyone," she begged. " _Please_."

Immediately, Opal reached out and squeezed Korra's arm, trying to comfort her. 

"No, of course not. I would never," Opal assured her friend. "It's all okay, I promise. You're okay—you're going to be okay."

Honestly, Korra was tired of hearing that it was going to be okay. She knew that life would go on and, technically, she would be okay, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt right now. That didn't mean that Korra's heart wasn't breaking every time she saw Asami and Mako being playful and happy together. She didn't know how long it was going to take her to get over this, but it certainly didn't feel like it would be "okay" any time soon.

Opal pulled Korra in for a long hug. She figured that she was the first person that Korra had revealed this to, and quite honestly, she felt like she wasn't the right person to deal with this. She didn't know how to handle this. She didn't even know if there was anything she could say to make her feel better. But she was going to try her best.

"I'm here for you. Always," Opal promised her. "If you ever want to talk about this—about  _anything_ —you can talk to me. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

 

After a while, Opal and Korra finally returned inside of Narook's. Asami's head jerked to look at them when she heard the door open, her eyes filled with concern. She had missed spending time with Korra and she hated that something was getting her so down. 

"Hey," Opal greeted, sliding back into the booth next to Bolin. Korra sat next to Opal, her head facing down, her eyes looking straight at the table instead of upwards. Asami bit her lip, getting even more worried. Something was definitely off. Opal and Korra had been outside for quite a bit. Even after they talked, something was still going on with Korra.

Korra finally looked up, her eyes locking with Asami's. Asami immediately took note of Korra's tear-stained cheeks. She had been crying a lot. Oh God, she felt even worse now. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if she didn't abandon her friend over break. She realized how terrible it was of her to not spend time with Korra. She was just afraid that Mako was growing annoyed of her friendship with Korra. While they were spending time together over break, he had repeatedly mentioned how he found it odd that they were such close friends. And once, he had even told her that he wished she would spend less time with Korra and more with him.

Maybe Asami was to blame for that, too, though. After all, she  _had_ left Mako in the dark as she spent countless hours with Korra. She really needed to learn how to balance her time with people. It seemed that somebody was always getting upset.

When everyone had finished eating, they started heading out of Narook's. 

"I'll catch up with you later, okay?" Asami said. "I want to check on Korra." 

Before Mako could say anything or object, Asami pressed a short kiss to his lips, then picked up her speed so that she could catch up to Korra, who was walking far ahead of them. When she finally caught up with Korra, she grabbed the tanner girl's arm.

"Hey," she greeted cautiously. She was aware that Korra didn't seem to be in the best place at the moment. "I feel like we haven't had much of a chance to talk today." 

"It's been a while since we've talked in general," Korra shrugged, seeming slightly bitter.

Asami sighed, "Look, I know that I made a mistake. I shouldn't have disappeared over break. I don't know what you're going through right now, but I do know that I should've been there for you. And if it isn't too late, I'd like to be here for you  _now_. Whatever it is, you can talk to me, Korra." 

"No, don't worry," Korra shook her head. She could never hate Asami; this wasn't her fault. Korra blamed herself for stupidly falling for somebody who was not only with somebody else, but was also completely straight. "I'm fine, I promise. Nothing's going on. And you have nothing to be sorry for."

Asami didn't completely believe her, but it wasn't her place to interrogate Korra after the crappy friend she had been recently. Her plan was to give the other girl the space she needed with whatever this problem was. If Korra opened up to her later, she would gladly be there for her. 

"Well, I promise that I'm not going to do  _that_ ever again. I think Mako was just a bit jealous that I was spending so much time with you instead of him, honestly," Asami admitted. "I didn't want him to feel that way, but now I realize that cutting others off isn't the way to handle things. If he can't handle that I have other friends, then... that's  _his_ problem, not mine."

Perhaps it was selfish, but Korra couldn't help but love the way that sounded. Mako was jealous of  _her_ friendship with Asami. And not only that, but Asami was making some bold declaration about how she wasn't going to give up their friendship for Mako. For even just a moment, Korra felt like an important part of Asami's life.

  


 

 


End file.
